Tabulating constructions



Sept. 20, 1960 E. D. O'BRIAN a-rAL 2,953,300

TABULATING coNsTRucTroNs Filed Jan. 22, 1957 INVENTORS .of equipment. .adapted to be detected by either mechanical lingers, elec- United States PatentOice Patented Sept. 20, 1960 and Robert E. oan, `1754 Mar Ella Trail, Des

Moines 10, Iowa l v Filed Jan. 22, 1957, Ser. No.,635,506

Claims. (Cl. 23S-61.12)

This invention relates to new and improved tabulating constructions, and more specifically to the construction of new and improved tabulating cards.V j

The'rterm tabulating card is commonly used at the present time to designate cards formedfof paper or various synthetic compositions which are adapted to contain various bits of information in a coded form. These cards are commonly used withI various types of tabulatling equipment for a number of information storage and computing purposes. Practically all of the tabulating cards used at the present time are formed so as to `con- .tain various predetermined areas or sections which are adapted to be punched with various conventional types The holes punched in these cards are trical sensing means, or by photo electric devices in conventional types of tabulating equipment. Photo electric scanning of tabulating cards is being used in newer ma- 1mation which can be stored on a given area within a predetermined pattern. For many operations it is norrmally desired to store many more bits of information than can be located upon conventional cards, films and the like.

A basic objective of this invention is to teach tabulating constructions which are adapted to contain much more information within a given area than can be contained within an equivalent given area or prior tabulating cards or the like. A more specific object of 'this invention is to provide tabulat-ing cards which are specifically adapted to be used with radiant energy sources and means for detecting radiant energy so thatl they may be readily scanned at an extremely high rate. A further object of this invention is to provide tabulating cards in which the radiant energy referred to above consists of a common light and in which given areas or sections of a tabulating 'card or other similar storage media such as, for example,

-which this invention itself pertains from a detailed con- 'sideration of the remainder of this description and the appended claims in which:A j

' the card 12 itself. Upon the other surface of the card Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a tabulaitng card of the present invention having bits of information indicated upon it; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View showing the use of the tabulating card illustrated in lFig. l and containing a partial cross-sectional view of the tabularting card illustrated in Fig. 1 taken at line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

In both figures of the drawing'like numerals are used to designate like parts. The accompanying drawing is primarily intended so as to clearly illustrate what is considered to be a presently preferred construction of this invention. Obviously the various sizes and shapes of the parts of the tabulating card illustrated may be changed Within comparatively wide 4limits without departing from the essential features or principles of rthis invention.

As an aid to understanding the invention itself, it may be stated in essentially summary forml that it involves vtabulating constructions which are formed so as to include a piece of material such as, for example, a piece of film or a card. This piece of material in these constructions must be capable of absorbing at least some radiant energy, and is divided into sections, at least some of which sections may be removed from the piece of materia-l itself. Upon the piece of material used another material, capable of absorbing at least some radiant energy, is located on `at least some of said sections of this piece of material.

A construction of this category is designed so that a source of radiant energy may be deposed upon one side of a section such as indicated and a means for detecting radiant energy may be located on lthe other side of this section. These two means when operated in conjunction with one another in an established manner are capable of being used so as to determine whether a section of a piece of material has had a material within this section removed from it and are capable of determining whether either of said other materials or said further material, or

both, are located upon said section of this piece of material.

The actual nature of this invention is easily explained by referring directly to the accompanying drawing where there is shown a rtabulating card construction 10 of this invention which is built about a transparent card 12 formed out of any of a number of different known resinous materials, such as, for example, certain cellulose derivatives or the like. Preferably the card 12 is transparent and is colored a first color, such as, for example, yellow. It is divided into a plurality of sections 14 which are arranged in rows in an established manner so as to fall within a predetermined pattern. Certain of the sections 14 are adapted to contain holes 16 such as may be punched with the card 12 by known mechanisms. Other of these sections 14 are adapted to carry small areas 18 of another material such as, for example, an appropriately transparent film layer colored a different color from 12 the same or other sections 14 of the card are adapted to carry further areas 20 of a similar composition to the areas 18. Both of the areas referred to here may be of the same or similar composition. Preferably the miaterials used in there are each of a different color and both differ in color from the card 12. Thus, the areas 18 and 20 may be blue and red respectively if the card 12 is yellow; these areas 18 and 20 may be formed by printing, stamping or further known processes.

With the preferred construction of this invention strips 22 of a conventional type of known magnetic storage material are located upon at least one surface of the card 12 between the various sections 14, although if desired, such strips 22 may be located on both surfaces of this card 12, or may completely cover this card.` The l strips 22 are opaque and,lhence, serve to preventlight from going through other than a desired lsection 14 of the card itself. Also they provide a convenient storage means of a magnetic nature ifor, the storage of information if'an eXtreme `quantity' of information shouldffor any reason, be stored upon one of the card constructions. Obviously these strips can be omitted, or replaced by opaque coatings of other materials.

The use of the card construction is illustrated in essentially a diagrammatic manner in Fig. -2 of the drawing. For convenience a ser-ies of incandescent light sources 22 are shown here. These'sources may'l be of a white light with the embodiment 'of the invention shown, valthough they may be sources of colored light or lights. Sources of other types of radiant` energy may be substituted for them. On the side Vof the card construction A10 remote from these sources v24-thereV are illustrated a series of photocells 26 which are adapted to detect the presence of radiant energy such as light. Various known appropriate light iilters 28 may be used with the photocells 26 in order to insure the eifective operation of these photocells with only the desired type of radiant energy.

While a series of light sources and mea-ns for detecting radiant energy have been shown in this iigure of the 4drawing it is to be understood only a single source of and a single means for detecting radiant energy may be used with a tabulating card construction 10, if the end is vmoved during a scanning. Various equivalents may vbe substituted for the iilters 28 or these filters may be dispensed with.

Fig. 2 of the drawing is primarily intended merely to nshow the manner in which the tabulating card construction of Ithis invention may be read out; the equipment `for this purpose may vary within extremely wide limits `in'a section 14 of the card 12 light will go directly through a'filter 28 to the photocell 26. Where one of the sections 14 of these cards is covered with an area 18 an additive effect will be obtained from light projecting through the section `14 indicated, and the additive color obtained can bey detected by means of the appropriate photocell 26. With the colors named, this additive color will be green. Where ione of the sections 14 is provided with one of the further areas 20 a similar additive color will be obtained by light projected through the particular section 1-4 and this color will also be detected on one of the corresponding photocells 26. In this case the additive color will be orange. Where one of the sections 14 is covered by both one of the other areas 18 and one of the further areas 20 and light is projected through the section an additive color effect is obtained and the photocell 26 located beneath this section will determine essentially the additive color. In the example given this color will Y be a black shade. In using the construction in this nature the strips 22 will serve to prevent light from going other than directlythr'ough the sections 14. The presenceof unaltered sections 14 may be determined in a similar manner.

Obviously the number of modifications can be made vwithin the-basic concept of this invention. The type of polariing light and toi-'form the areas 18 and 20 out of compositior'ls capable -of polarizingV light, allV of these planes. This type of construction is not consideredpref.- erable with the invention because of a number of technical problems as Well as the diiculty of obtaining a sharp electric signal from a photocell.

While this invention has been described primarily in conjunction with its use withlight the basic principles here shown and described may be used with other forms of radiant energy, sueh as, 4for example, X-rays or the like, by using dierentmaterials capable of absorbing radiant 'energy'of 'the Itype employed. Obviously it is not necessary that a tabul'ating construction ofv this invention actually employ all of the various means herein indicated for u'sevin detectingvarious indicia upon these constructions. Thus, for example, elective tabulating cards can be created by omitting holes, such as the holes 16. Also only two diierent materials or layers can be employed instead of three Ias illustrated and described. Also various alignment means orthe like can vbe used with the constructions of this invention, or if desired, the magnetic strips 22 can beemployed for this purpose. Because of the -fact that the construction of this invention can be used in a wide variety of manners and are capable of a great deal of-niodiiication', the invention is to be considered as vbeing limited only by appended claims,

and these claixris in turn are tobe interpreted in the light of this specification and the patent doctrine of equivalents.

We claim: l l 1. A vtabulatin'g construction of the class described which comprises: apiece of material capable of absorbsome radiant energy, said piece of material -being divided into sections, at least some of said sections being adapted to contain holes formed in said piece of material; another material capable of absorbing some radiant energy located on at least some of said sections of Asaid piece of material; a further material capable of absorbing some radiant energy located on at least some of said sections of 'said piece of material, said materials capable of absorbing radiant energy Ibeing located on opposite sides of saidpiece of material at least some of `said sections `containing said other material and said further'material'on the sides thereof, said materials being aligned.

2. A'ftabulating construction of the class described'as del-ined in claim 1 wherein at least some of said sections are separated by magnetic storage means located on said `piece of material.

3. A tabulating card construction which comprises: a

4card formed of a colored material capable of absorbing and said further'colored materials on the surfaces thereof, said materials being aligned.

4. A tabulating card construction -as defined in claim wherein at leastA some' of said sections Aof said' card are separated by magnetic storage means located on said card.

5. A tabulating card construction as defined in claim 3 wherein said sections are separted by opaque material located on said card.

References Cited in the file of this patent l UNITED STATES PATENTS "Re, 23,385 Knutsen f July 3, 1951 2,084,848 Lasker June 22, 1937 2,268,499A Bryce Dec. 30, 1941 

